The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
Fukuyama, Thiel, and the Revenge of the Last Man
English Summary
The article argues that Peter Thiel fundamentally challenges Fukuyama's 'End of History' thesis by asserting that modern political struggle has not vanished, but has shifted into a conflict against centralized state power and global institutions. Thiel's reasoning, drawing from Girard, posits that conflict is rooted in mimetic rivalry, making traditional liberal debate an insufficient solution. Instead, he advocates for decentralized power, technological disruption, and the creation of monopolies—such as digital currencies or space ventures—to resist state overreach. Strategically, this implies that policy efforts should prioritize supporting individual and corporate escape routes and technological innovation over relying on traditional multilateral diplomacy or global governance structures.
中文摘要
本文論述彼得·蒂爾（Peter Thiel）挑戰了福山「歷史終結」的論點，主張現代政治鬥爭並未消失，而是轉化為對中央集權國家權力與全球機構的衝突。蒂爾的論點援引了吉拉爾（Girard）的理論，指出衝突根源於模仿性競爭（mimetic rivalry），使得傳統自由主義辯論無法提供足夠的解決方案。因此，他倡導去中心化的權力、技術顛覆，以及建立壟斷（例如數位貨幣或太空事業）來抵抗國家過度擴張。從策略上講，這意味著政策努力應優先支持個人和企業的「逃生路線」及技術創新，而非依賴傳統的多邊外交或全球治理結構。
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